Australia's woes deepen with Mitchell Marsh set for ankle surgery

Australia's bruising tour of South Africa has had injury added to insult, with Mitchell Marsh likely to miss the limited-overs tour of England in June after opting to undergo ankle surgery.

Marsh established himself in the Test team after two centuries in the Ashes series victory against England, and played in all four matches of Australia's tour of South Africa.

However, ankle surgery means the all-rounder has pulled out of a stint with county side Surrey, stripping him of valuable game time in English conditions ahead of the World Cup and the return Ashes series in 2019.

"I'm extremely disappointed to be missing the start of the season. I was looking forward to heading over and joining the Surrey family," Marsh said.

Fellow paceman Mitchell Starc was also ruled out of the fourth Test and the Indian Premier League due to tibial bone stress, and will be fighting to regain fitness for the England tour.

The tour of England - which features five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 international - is an opportunity for the Australian side to regain respect following the ball-tampering scandal which occurred during the third Test in Cape Town.

Cameron Bancroft was hit with a nine-month ban by Cricket Australia after attempting to alter the condition of the ball with sandpaper, with captain Steve Smith and deputy David Warner given 12-month suspensions.